Letter: Reflecting on the 'magical' Travelers Rest community

Dear community of Travelers Rest,

I wanted to take a moment and thank all of you, the community of Travelers Rest, for the opportunity to serve you for the last six years, most recently as the captain of the TR Police Department. As I retire today, I reflect on the many things I have learned while working for the city. One of the biggest things that I learned from TR is that the community here is magical. To me being a cop has always been about what we, as police, can do for the community. I have always loved a strong connection with community and God has blessed me so many times in that area.

One of the main things that I have learned working for the city of Travelers Rest is how dedicated the employees are here. I came from a relatively large agency with a very large annual budget. Coming here I saw what a strong group of people, dedicated to building a strong community, can do.

The city of Travelers Rest has seen great growth in the short time that I have been here, and it continues to grow. As the city has grown, I have watched the administrative staff — Ms. Dianna (city administrator), Ms. Louanne and Ms. Gail (Ma) — work diligently every day to keep the city running smoothly through the research and paperwork process that is vital to a growing community. I have watched Judge Shirley and Ms. Tonya keep our court system and records division running strong. I have watched Judge Tate not only take over the duties of city maintenance but also continue to work diligently as one of our judges.

I have watched the chief and all the officers here worked incredibly hard to keep the city streets safe and watch out for those in need. The supervisors here are some of the best I have worked with, and the new captain, Tim Kelley, is going to be awesome. I have seen Ms. Lark and the dispatch staff work so hard to keep us all safe on the road and communicate vital information that saves lives every day.  Ms. Lark spends hours each year with the help of others to give needy children a great Christmas.

I have seen the police officers cover shifts when we are short manpower without a groan and go the extra mile to help someone even when they are buried in paperwork.

The fire department is filled with incredible personnel that no matter the danger, no matter the problem, they rush in to help. They are quick to lend a hand to someone in need within the community and are always helping residents.

So what I am saying is that these small groups of people that make up the city of Travelers Rest employees are some of the hardest working, most dedicated people I have ever seen.

As I leave to take the next path God places before me, I will take fond memories with me. The biggest thing I loved about the city of Travelers Rest employees is the family feel they put out. We can agree to disagree, and there are things I would do different, but the bottom line is we are all family. Just like the community of TR, the city employees are truly here to make the community a better place for everyone to enjoy!

So God's Blessings to you all and Merry Christmas,

Captain Randy Fisher